All Chapters of Steel and Sin: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Ashley didn’t sleep after the funeral. Even after Nolan barked her into the clubhouse, after Ace slipped away with that unreadable smirk, after the fire burned down to embers—she lay awake on her cot, staring at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn’t come. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Derrick’s body swallowed by flame, Nolan’s cold stare, Jax’s vanishing silhouette. By the time dawn broke, her chest ached like she’d been in a fight. She needed air. So she did the only thing that made sense—she went to the shop. The streets were still empty when she pulled up. She parked her borrowed bike out front, shoved her key in the lock, and froze. The key turned too easily. Ashley’s stomach dropped. She pushed the door open. Smoke. It hit her in the throat first. The bell over the door jingled weakly, but the sound was drowned by the sight before her. Her shop. Her fragile, imperfect little piece of freedom… blackened. The chair was toppled, furnitures burned through. Bottl

Ashley woke first. The safehouse was quiet and dim, the curtains shut tight. Jax’s arm was heavy across her waist, his breath warm against her neck. For a while, she just lay there, staring at the cracked ceiling. Her body ached, but it wasn’t just from the night before. What happened between them had been more than sex. Jax had let her see the part of him he usually buried deep. She knew it didn’t magically change everything. When she finally tried to move away, Jax’s hand tightened on her, holding her in place without even waking. “You running?” Jax’s voice was rough, still half-asleep. “No,” she whispered. “Bathroom.” He let her go, but his eyes stayed on her until she turned the corner. When she came back, Jax was already dressed. The softness from the night before was gone. Now his guard was back up. “What is going on?” Ashley asked. “Nolan wants updates. Stay here. Don’t touch the door.” His tone made it clear there was no room to argue. Ashley almost snapped back, but

The safehouse was quiet again. Ashley sat on the edge of the couch, Marco’s face burned into her mind every time she blinked. His smirk. His voice. His warning. No matter how slowly she tried to breathe, her chest stayed tight, like something unseen was squeezing her ribs. She thought she’d left that life behind—the lies, the tricks, the fake affection that had kept her trapped with Marco. But he wasn’t some ghost she could forget. He was real, dangerous, and tonight proved he still had his eye on her. A shiver ran through her as she remembered the way he used to look at her—not like she was wanted, but like she was owned. She hated that even now, he could still get in her head and twist her up inside. The brothers weren’t much better. Nolan was in the kitchen with the burner phone, pacing around while making low calls. Jax leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his jaw tight with tension. Cole sat next to her, stiff, his knee bouncing nonstop, his whole body buzzing with nerves.

It was cold outside. The safehouse lights still glowed behind them, but Nolan didn’t look back. He stood beside his bike, steady and silent, checking the rifle on his back. Ashley lingered in the doorway, her fingers brushing the chipped frame. “Where are you going?” she asked softly. He didn’t answer right away. The sound of a clip clicking into place was her only response. Then he looked up. “Got word the Fangs were spotted near the border route. I’m going to see how close they’ve gotten.” He slung the rifle over his shoulder. Then, like it was nothing, he added, “You’re coming.” Ashley froze. “Me?” “You are with us now, which means you are in,” Nolan said. “Don’t make me say it twice.” Ashley hesitated. Part of her wanted to argue, to remind him she wasn’t one of his guys. But another part—the one that hated being left out, pushed her to move. “Fine,” she said, pulling on her jacket and stepping into the cold. If Nolan was surprised, he didn’t show it. He just gave

Nolan didn’t know how long he sat there.The rain had slowed to a drizzle. All night, he’d tried to convince himself it was a mistake. Crossing that line didn’t make him better than the men he hated. But every time he thought that, he saw her eyes. It shouldn’t have happened. Now it couldn’t be undone.He told himself to move, lock the doors, go to his room, forget it. But when he stood, his feet didn’t take him to his room. They took him upstairs.The hallway was dim. He passed Jax’s closed door, then Cole’s. Behind those doors, the others slept—or pretended to. He could almost feel Cole’s suspicion through the walls, waiting for dawn.He stopped at the last door on the right—his door. The one she shouldn’t be behind.But she was.Ashley sat on the edge of his bed, blanket around her shoulders, hair loose, eyes wide when she saw him.“I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly.He did